


Hunters for Hire

by ShadowOfTheNight



Series: Hunters for Hire [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Lore - Freeform, M/M, Sibling Love, gabriel is not quite human, side destiel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 08:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1117890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowOfTheNight/pseuds/ShadowOfTheNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fantasy-AU: Sam and Dean are hunters in a medieval fantasy setting and Sam is contracted by a mysterious man looking for help to find his stolen brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So. This drabble is kind of inspired by that one post picking fun at all the coffee shop AUs. Sorry for the lack of porn and the fade to black, my porn skills are rusty and it would take me forever to try and write something up.

Samuel Winchester and his brother slumped in the hard backed chairs of the local tavern (The Lion) and picked at their food with tired, aching hands.

 

“I need a nice, warm bed to sleep in.” Dean grumbled as he pulled apart the tough hunk of bread.

 

“With a nice, warm servant?” Samuel laughed and took a bite of the greasy roast.

 

Dean shrugged, “It wouldn’t go amiss.  Remember that one with the blue eyes?”

 

“And the black hair who wouldn’t stop staring at you?”  Samuel laughed again, “Yes, I remember him.  You wouldn’t stop talking about him for weeks after we left that town.  I was sure you were going to steal him away since you couldn’t afford more than a few nights.”

 

Dean went red, “Shut up. It’s not like you were any better with that black-haired girl.”

 

“I’d hoped you’d forgotten that.”

 

“Not a chance, brother.”  Dean stood and stretched and shoved his plate over at Samuel.  “I’m going to go find someone to thaw myself out on.  You coming?”

 

Samuel shook his head, “Not tonight.  Maybe tomorrow.  We’ve got enough money to get us to the next hunt, don’t you dare spend it all on some fancy whore tonight.”

 

“Didn’t plan on it.  See you on the morrow.”  Dean grinned and strode out of the tavern door.

 

No sooner had he left, than a small man with blond hair and golden eyes (just enough for Samuel to certain he wasn’t totally human) plopped himself down in the chair vacated by Dean.  “Hunters, huh?  You guys any good?”

 

“We’re the Winchesters.”  Samuel raised an eyebrow.  “And you are?”

 

The man whistled, “You _are_ good.  I got a proposition… well a job, really.”

 

“We’ve already got one lined up, werewolf.” Samuel went back to his roast.

 

“I’m prepared to pay you in gold.”

 

Sam stopped with a piece of meat halfway to his mouth, “What?”

 

“Gold, hunter.  Gold.  I want you to find my brother.  A Siren took him and added him to her brothel.  You bring him back to me and I’ll pay you twenty gold pieces.”

 

Samuel stuck out his hand.  “I’m Samuel Winchester and it is a _pleasure_ to meet you.”

 

The smaller man took it with his own hand and grinned, “I’m Gabriel.  Why don’t we go upstairs to my room and seal the deal in a little more… intimate space where I can show just how _much_ of a pleasure it is to know me?”

 

Samuel looked him up and down, “You’re a little small.  You think you can handle me?”

 

“Kiddo,” Gabriel laughed, “I can handle you just fine.”  He tugged on Samuel’s hand and led him up the stairs all bemused.

 

Their night was heated and Samuel couldn’t remember the last time he’d been consumed by the skills of a partner in such a way, and it was with satisfaction and a bit of regret at not going any longer, that he finally fell asleep.

 

He woke early the next morning with a subtle, yet satisfying ache in his muscles.  He rolled over to reach for Gabriel, but found the man gone and a small note in his place. 

 

_Sam,_

_I’m sorry to have to run out, and I’m sorry I had to take your purse.  I used up all my money looking for my brother and I needed to get home.  When you find my brother, use the feather on the pillow and whisper my name.  I’ll find you and I’ll pay you. Since I didn’t tell you last night, I left a sketch of my brother, Castiel, with the innkeeper._

_I enjoyed our night, and hopefully we can celebrate the same way when I see you again._

_\--G_

Samuel stared dumbfounded at the note and then at the golden feather on the pillow.  He sighed, muttered to himself about never trusting golden-eyed men again, and dressed himself.  With another look of disgust around the room, he sighed again and snagged the feather before heading down to breakfast.

 

He leaned with an air of casualness against the bar and raised an eyebrow at the innkeeper.  “You have something for me?”

 

The fat, balding man nodded and handed over a folded square of paper.  Samuel took it, unfolded it, and stared unblinking at the face looking back at him.  He muttered a curse under his breath and tucked the paper into a pouch at his belt.  “Dean is going to _love_ this.”


	2. on the road again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean hash out that bit of business that occurred back at the Lion

The silence that stretched between them felt as if it should muffle the sound of their horse’s hooves on the paving stones of the road, but all it just made them echo painfully up into Sam’s ears.  Dean looked to be struggling with something, and the younger Winchester hoped it would take him quite a long while to figure out what he wanted to say.

No such luck.

“So,” Dean began and Sam sighed, “This man comes up to you, not fully human near as you can tell, and offers you gold to find his lost baby brother?”

“Yes, Dean.”

“And you, clearly not thinking, go to bed in our room with this man, who then steals your purse and leaves you a sketch of said brother.”

“And the feather.”

“Oh yes,” Dean sneered, “Let us not forget the feather.  He leaves you a blasted golden feather on the pillow like a lover’s token and you head down to the innkeeper and get a sketch.  Not just any sketch, but the sketch of a whore I spent several nights with in a town sixty leagues away,” Dean began waving his hands at his horse, “And since your money,  _our_  money got stolen, we have to make do on these below average  _beasts_  that only get us at most ten leagues a day.” He stopped, breathing harshly through his nose.

“Dean,” Sam started.

“No, Sammy.  You listen to me.  We were a day away from a town that would have net us half a crown for dealing with their werewolf problem and then we could have gotten on the road to pick up this  _whore_  for your little thief!”

Sam took several deep breaths to calm himself.  “Dean.  He could have slit my throat and  _then_  taken off with everything in the middle of the night.” His ears pinked a little, “I know it’s stupid but I trust him.  Plus, he said the owner of that brothel is a  _Siren_  and she’s a far greater threat than the werewolf and you know it.”

Dean growled and nudged his horse into a faster walk to pull up ahead of Sam.  “When this all blows up in our faces,” he warned, “I’ll be holding _you_  responsible.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Sam grinned.  “If this blows up in our faces, I’ll personally apologise to you and let you lead the next three expeditions.”

Dean cocked his head to the side and Sam could almost see his grin, “And if it doesn’t,” he started, “you have full bragging rights for a moon and _you_  get to lead the next three expeditions.”

“Deal.” Sam laughed.  “Are you going to stay mad at me the whole trip?”

“Little brother,” Dean laughed and twisted in his saddle, “You  _know_  I can never stay mad at you for very long.”

“Good.” Sam went silent for a few minutes, “Other than the obvious, how are you feeling about going back after Castiel?”

Dean tugged on the reins and settled back to a walk beside Sam, “I’m not really sure,” he said, “There were a lot of things that were said those nights and I…” he trailed off, “I could… care for him.  He was sweet and tender and he knew what I was thinking before I could even say anything.  Back then I just thought he was an adept at his profession, but now I’m not so sure.” He frowned, “What do we know that can read minds?”

“Sirens can… sort of.” Sam offered.

“No,” Dean shook his head, “Sirens don’t have wings.  Wings and a mind reader,” he mused.

“What makes you say wings?”

“That feather.  When you showed it to me it still looked… freshly plucked.”

“What?!” Sam pulled the golden item out of his belt pouch and stared at it.  “Well, I’ll be damned.  I can’t believe I didn’t notice that.”

“So it’s not just a relic.” Dean nodded, “Which means he, and his brother, have wings.”

“Hidden by Sorcery?”

Dean nodded again.  “So we have a family of inhuman magic users.  Have you heard of anything like that?”

Sam shook his head.  “I can ask around in the next town or we can send a Hawk Message to Uncle.  He knows more lore than I do.”

Dean worried his bottom lip between his teeth.  “Good idea.  I want to know what we’re up against.”


	3. Dinner with a Side of Lore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says on the tin, folks

Sam released the hawk after feeding it a few tidbits of meat and held the message scroll up triumphantly at Dean, who still stoked the fire with muttered curses trying to fix their dinner. “Message from Uncle Robert!”

“Wonderful, now stop fiddling with it and come help me fix dinner.” Dean prodded the fire once more, causing a shower of sparks to rise into the sky.

“It looks like you’ve got it, Dean.  What do you need my help for?” Sam laughed and settled down on his bedroll and pulled open the message scroll.  “Uncle’s not really sure about the details.  He needs more information, but he has a few suspects.”

“So give me the goods, what might we be looking at here?”

“Harpy, which he says is not likely.  Angel, which he says is even less likely, Ekek is a possibility but he would have eaten me that night. And none of those would stay locked up in a brothel.  They’d have destroyed the Siren at first sight.”

“Garuda, maybe?” Dean settled a large grate over the fire and set a pan on top of it. 

“We’re too far east for that, he says.” Sam shook his head, “And besides, this man looked European, so maybe an Aarakocra half-breed or a Pheonix.”

Dean groaned in relief, “Neither of those are anything we really need to worry about taking down.  What do we know about the Aarakocra?”

“Tribal, territorial.  Vulnerable to… fire, I think.” Sam perused the paper.  “Uncle didn’t have much to say about them.  Just told us if that’s what we were dealing with, to kill the Siren and ‘Get the boy’s damn brother back and stop bothering me’ and to make sure the Siren stays dead, of course.”

“That’s Uncle all right.” Dean flicked some water at the pan and judged the sizzles, “Still got some roast left over from the last farm.  You want that?”

“Sure.  Just don’t burn it this time.”

“Just because I like my meat to be dead, doesn’t mean I burn it.  But if you want yours to moo, then by all means, I’ll let yours moo.”  Dean grumbled as he laid thick slices of roast into the pan with a little butter he pulled from a wax lined paper package.

“I like mine dead,” Sam protested, “I just like it a little pink.  You’re the one that ruins it and burn it to the point of inedibility.”

“Lies and slander,” Dean replied turning the thick cuts of meat over.  “Now what do we know about Phoenixes?  Iron hurts them, what else?”

“Iron won’t hurt them, but it will incapacitate them.  They can burn people to a crisp, are immortal and nothing can kill them.”

“Great.  Could we really have a family of these things running around?”

“Sounds like it.  But Uncle thinks it’s even less likely than Harpy.  Gorgon would have been a possibility but all of those were wiped out years ago.”

“Didn’t they have snakes for hair and turn people to stone?” Dean frowned.

Sam nodded, “Wings too, though.  They started out with the three sisters-”

“Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.  And then they bred from there.” Dean shook his head, “If I’m remembering the lore right, it took a team of female Hunters to wipe the nest out because the men couldn’t keep their eyes focused long enough to do their job.”

“Not like it hasn’t happened to you, once or twice.”  Sam grinned.

“Don’t give me that look, Sammy.  Whose dick was it that led us on this wild goose hunt to begin with?”

“I was thinking twenty gold crowns would keep us fed and warm for months,” Sam shot back, “And enable us to get that old horse back you love so much.”

“Baby isn’t just any old horse,” Dean protested, “She came from a breeder of-”

“Nags and plowhorses.  The breeder didn’t know what he had and dad couldn’t resist her after the advice of a stranger.” Sam finished, “I’ve heard the story too, you know.  But now she’s locked away with some merchant as collateral and we can finally get her back.  Then maybe you’ll stop whining on about it.”

“I don’t whine,” Dean huffed as he turned the meat over again. “I protest vehemently.”

“Dean,” Sam laughed, “They already have a word for that.  It’s called whining.”  He barely dodged the wooden tongs aimed at his head. 


	4. Arrivals on the road

Sam rode alongside his brother on the dusty road, grinning like a loon.  “Did you see that?” He laughed, “We tore that place apart.”

 

Dean snorted, “Only because the whores decided to help us.  They could have just sat back.  They risked their lives to help us take down that Siren.”

 

“And she almost got your little black-haired beauty.”

 

Dean’s hands clenched convulsively on the reins as he looked down at the figure draped across his saddle.  “You think he’s going to wake up soon?  And I wouldn’t call him beautiful.  He’s too much… something else.” Dean shook his head.

 

“Well, either way, he’s a looker.  No wonder that Siren picked him up,” Sam reached a hand out to touch the man’s leg. “He’ll be alright, Dean.  We had to knock him out.”

 

“I know that.  The Siren would have used him against us.  I know that.” He settled a hand onto the small of his back.  “But that doesn’t make it any easier.”  

 

“But look.  As soon as he’s safe, I can use the magic in this feather and we’ll be getting our reward and you can go pick up that horse you keep complaining about.”

 

“I told you last time,” Dean shot him an aggravated look, “Baby is not just a horse.  She’s a prized mare from-”

 

“Centuries of breeding, I know.” Sam laughed, “I still think Dad could have given us something else before he went chasing after that-”

 

“Stop.” Dean interrupted and held up a hand.  “We’re not alone.”

 

Sam frowned.  “How can you tell?”

 

“A feeling.” Dean sat stiff in his saddle and reached for his blessed dagger.

 

Sam felt all the hair on his arm stand on end as a prickling sensation swept over him and he shivered afterwards.  Then he heard a slow clapping.

 

“Well done, boys.”

 

In the middle of the road in front of them stood a Moor and she was clapping her hands and staring stone-faced at the two of them.  “You did well,” she said, “Now give him to me.”

 

Dean’s grip tightened. “I don’t think so, milady.  We’re delivering him elsewhere.”

 

“Oh.  I see.  Why don’t you just deliver him back to his family?”  She raised her eyebrows.

 

The figure slumped over the saddle groaned.  “Raphael?”

 

“Yes, Castiel.  I’m here.  We can finally bring you home.”  She stepped forwards toward the horses.  

 

“Not… with you.” Castiel put his hands on either side of his head.  “Ow.”

 

When Raphael started forward, Sam reached for the feather and invoked the magic within. “Come on, you son of a bitch.  We need your help.”

  
With a flash of fire and a grin that lit up his face, the man who had given them the job, Gabriel, appeared between Raphael and the horses. “Not so fast, big sister.  I was the one who hired them.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus a long dead creature arises from the deep. Have a new chapter!

Sam stared between Raphael and Gabriel for a long moment, deeply relieved that the feather’s summoning magic worked.  

“ _ You _ hired these hunters?” Raphael pinched the bridge of her nose.  “I… am thankful that your unorthodox ways of going about things worked out this time, Gabriel.  You know it doesn’t always.”

Gabriel glanced back over his shoulder and winked at Sam before turning back to his sister.  “That’s fine,” he said in an offhand manner, “I knew I could trust them because I got  _ very _ close to tall and lanky up there.”

Raphael hissed in a breath, “You had sexual congress with a  _ human _ !?  Gabriel!” She threw her hands up into the air and then shook her head.  “I’m just glad this one survived.  You know what happens when you lose control!”

“Wait wait.  Survived?  Excuse me?  What are you talking about, Milady?”  Sam interrupted and moved his horse in front of Dean’s to keep his brother from charging at the two in the road.

Raphael eyed him up and down.  “When one of our kind has relations with a human, the humans in question tend to end up burned to a crisp if we lose control.”

“Hah!” Dean shouted, “Phoenixes!  I told you they were Phoenixes.”

Sam turned to stare back at his brother.  “I… you  _ did _ but can we play the ‘I told you so’ game later?”

“Sorry,” Dean mumbled and returned to petting Castiel’s hair.

Sam rolled his eyes.  “Ok, so.  Phoenixes?”

The two in the road nodded.  “Sorry, Samuel.  I should have told you when I left the feather, but Father was not at all happy I’d slipped into town.”

“He almost burned down the palace, you idiot.”  Raphael told him blandly.

“Raphael, has anyone ever told you that you have a bad habit of telling the truth?”

She smirked.  “Only you and Lucifer.  Speaking of, everyone’s expecting you to come home with the baby.”

“Not a baby,” Castiel groaned.

“You’re the youngest, so you’re the baby.” She sniffed.  “Now, get him away from that Hunter, Gabriel and lets go home.  Please.”

Gabriel sighed before he turned to face the brothers.  “How would you like to deliver Castiel to Father personally and be rewarded by the Crown itself?”  He suggested with a bright smile.

Sam put his face in his hands.  “The Crown?” he asked from between his fingers.  

“Yep!  You had the best night of your life with one of the crown princes of the kingdom.”  Gabriel puffed out his chest proudly.

“We’ll go.” Dean said shortly.  

Raphael pursed her lips, but said nothing.

“But,” Dean started.

“Always a catch, with humans.” She muttered and disappeared with a rush of wings.

“You stay, Gabriel.” Dean finished.  “You ride with us and you tell us  _ everything _ about your kind.  I want to know exactly what could have happened, why it didn’t happen, and what we can expect when we reach the Palace.  Got it?”

Gabriel smirked and disappeared with the sound of wings only to appear in Sam’s saddle, facing him.  “Your wish is my command.”  He pressed himself to Sam’s chest and settled in.  “Hope you don’t mind if I make myself comfortable, though.”

  
Dean opened his mouth to say something before he was drowned out by the sound of Castiel’s laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

A few hours of fuming silence later and Dean finally felt as if he’d managed to calm down to ask his questions.  “So.” He said with a ragged inhale, “What did she mean by what she said about losing control?”

Gabriel pursed his lips and then frowned. “Its difficult to explain, but I’ll do what I can.” He tapped out something on Sam’s chest before he started again.  “We’re Phoenixes.”

“Yes, I got that.” Dean snapped.

“Shut up.” Gabriel rolled his eyes.  “You asked.  Phoenixes are elementals, of a sort.”

“We’re descended from elementals, really.” Castiel said from his position on the saddle behind Dean.

“Yeah, that's a better way of putting it.” Gabriel nodded.  “So, when we lose control, or when we die, some of that while primeval nature comes out.  We tend to revert to a primitive elemental state that lights a lot of things on fire.”

“Wait,” Sam interjected, “So do you really resurrect from the ashes?”

Gabriel made a rude noise, “That’s what they’re saying about us?  Wow.” He whistled.  “No, that’s not how that works at all.”

“Then what about the legends of finding a baby in the ashes where a phoenix has been killed?” Sam asked.

Gabriel hesitated and bit his lip.  “That’s… that’s also complicated.”  He sighed and pulled at his hair a bit.  “That’s not us.  If you were to stab me, the resulting infant would not be me.  It would be a different Phoenix, the next one waiting to be born.”  He poked at the saddle.  

“There are a finite number of Phoenix souls.” Castiel continued.  “Each soul is precious, and when we die we go to the great aether to await our chance at being reborn.”

“So you  _ are _ immortal.”  Sam sighed.

“Not at all!” Gabriel said.  “Just because the soul is reborn… The soul is reborn, not the person or the memories.”  He chewed at his lip again.  “We’re all here for a reason.  We’re all here to learn and to become better people.  A Phoenix that has achieved that gets to stay in the aether and transcend.  They get to keep all the memories.” He looked away from Sam.

“That’s complicated.” Dean complained. “So what about the losing control thing?”

“Ah!” Gabriel laughed. “Its dangerous for us to get drunk or have sex because when we lose control we become a bit more primal, like I said.” Then he winked up at Sam, “But I’ve had extensive training and Cassie boy was drugged.  That’s why neither of the places we we fornicated in are crispy right now.”

Dean chewed his thoughts over for a league or so more while Sam and Gabriel held a hushed conversation with lingering touches.  “Fine.” He said finally.  “Fine.  I can accept all of that.” Then he made a sour face. “You’re not going to expect us to dress nice when we present ourselves to the King, are you?”

“No,” Gabriel chuckled.  “You’ll do him a world of good, just as you are.”

“And scandalize the Court.” Castiel added.

“And,” Gabriel added, “I might just put in a petition to have you two added as Royal Hunters.” Then he doubled over with laughter at the gobsmacked looks on the faces of the brothers.


End file.
